The Other Side of the Door
by Heart Like Memphis
Summary: Chandler's love life is very hectic right now. He made the mistake of sleeping with Monica when he really wants to be with Rachel yet he knows in both cases Ross will kill him. Will Chandler tell the truth about everything or keep it a secret? Read
1. Chapter 1

_Chandler M Bing was an easy going guy. He tried his best not to worry over things. Worrying was bad, worrying made him become awkward – well even more awkward than what he already was. When he became awkward he'd crack a bunch of inappropriate jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood. It never worked._

_Right now he felt worried, very worried. Why might you ask? Simple; he slept with Monica. Monica Gellar was his best friend's younger sister. Ross was going to kill him! To make things worse Monica hadn't left him alone since. She was getting clingy and not in a good way. _

_Normally Chandler wouldn't be that upset with attention from the opposite sex (unless it was Janice) but he didn't enjoy it coming from Monica. The reason being that he knew that she'd expect for him to fall for her. That was hard to do when he had already fallen for someone else. _

_Chandler's love life was a mess. It had been non existing for so long and now that it had broken out of it's shell he wished that it would go away. Being single was suppose to be stress free! This was not even close. The girl he wanted, she was even more out of bounds than Monica was. You see the other problem was that he had feelings for Rachel Green. Rachel was Monica's best friend and had this crazy past with Ross. Everyone thought that Rachel and Ross were destined to be together. The idea was probably true which was why it saddened Chandler._

"_**Earth to Chandlerrrr" **Joey Tribbiani's voice broke through Chandler's thoughts causing him to blink._

"_**Huh?"** he asked looking at Joey's puzzled expression. **"What do you want Joe?"**_

"_**Well I dunno, you just seem out of it today. Like you're thinking about something. Really thinking." **_

'_Most people spend their time thinking' Chandler wanted to say but he was afraid his comment might hurt his friend. Joey was.. well he wasn't as intelligent as the rest of the gang but Joey had a good heart. He was a caring guy and Chandler could tell that he was actually worried right now._

"_**Nah, dude I'm fine. Why don't you order some pizza? I could go get us a movie?" **_

"_**YEAH! Can we watch Die Hard again?!" **_

_Joey's excitement made Chandler grin as he nodded, **"Of course, I'll go get it now"**_

"_**Okay!"**_

_With that said Joey began to dial the pizza place and Chandler pulled on his jacket. He opened the door and walked into a petite but familiar frame._

"_**Oh, Chandler, I'm sorry"**_

_It was Rachel._

"_**Rach.. I.. i'm uh, sorry too."**_

_His tone was unsettling and he awkward shuffled by her as quickly as he could._

'_Why did she have to show up now?' was the thought that ran through his mind as he left the apartment building. Oh well, at least he got away. Joey could deal with her now. Besides, she came to see Joey right? She'd never come to just see him. He was Chandler. He wasn't what she'd want._


	2. Chapter 2

_**So this is the second chapter to my story. I don't know if anyone is actually reading it but I want to continue because I love the idea of Chandler&Rachel because they two of my favorite characters. But yeah if you guys could comment that'd be awesome, even if you hate it I want to know! lol.**_

_**At the Video Store**_

_Chandler wandered through the aisles at the video store. He had promised Joey that he'd get Die Hard and he would although he debated on getting another movie too. Two was better than one, right? He pondered the thought when he heard another familiar voice. _

"_**Hey Man!"** _

_It was Ross. Right now Ross was the last person that Chandler wanted to see. He put on a fake smile, hoping that it would be convincing enough as he greeted his friend. _

"_**Ross, what are you doing here?" **After he spoke he realized that his voice was filled with shock and harshness. He hoped that Ross wouldn't notice._

"_**Well I'm here to get a movie obviously." **_

_Ross didn't notice his voice. Thank God. _

"_**That's cool.. So am I. Joey wanted to watch Die Hard again. You could come watch it with us, if you want" **_

_Even though he didn't want to see Ross he knew that he had to make the offer. On any other occasion he would and since he wanted to seem as normal as possible he knew that it was needed._

"_**Sure! That sounds like a good idea to me."**_

"_**Okay cool. Let's get the movie then."**_

_Chandler and Ross found Die Hard however after Chandler suggested getting another movie too they settled on Stephen Kings' It. They both decided that seeing Joey get scared could be amusing._

_**Later on at Joey & Chandler's apartment**_

_The guys finished watching Die Hard and were now on their second pizza. They were all laughing, drinking beer and generally having a good time. That is until Ross decided to speak._

"_**We need to do this more often, it seems like it's never just us guys anymore."**_

_Chandler and Joey both nodded in agreement as Ross continued to speak._

"_**And after saying that I know that this seems bad but could we hold off on the next movie for a few more minutes. I want to slip over to Rachel and Monica's to see if Rach is there."**_

"_**But dude! I'm all pumped up for this movie! You can't go!" **Joey complained, practically begging Ross to stay. **"Why do you want to see her anyway?" **Joey was against the idea of Ross going however he was Joey and he was a curious guy._

"_**Simple, I want to ask her out. See if she'd be willing to give us another go." **_

_Ross was beaming as he spoke, Chandler on the other hand had been taking a drink of beer and when he heard those words he immediately began to choke._

"_**Woah, slow down there buddy"** Joey said, patting Chandler on the back trying to help stop the choking. **"And that's great Ross. I'm sure that she'll say yes." **Joey used to have a small crush on Rachel but it was nothing major. He was over it._

"_**I hope so. I'm glad that you two understand. I'll be back in a few minutes"** With that said Ross got up off the couch and rushed off to Monica and Rachel's house._

_Chandler looked over at Joey with a sad expression on his face. He didn't even try to hide it this time. **"Do you really think that she'll say yes?"**_

"_**Well duh, it's Ross and Rachel. She's his lobster. Didn't you listen to Pheebs when she explained that to us years ago. I didn't get it at first.. like what does seafood have to do with this? But then I went over it a few times in my head and finally got it!" **_

_Joey seemed impressed with the answer he had given. All Chandler could go was silently nod. Why did Joey have to be right about this? _

_**At Monica & Rachel's**_

"_**Hey Mon, is Rachel here?"** Ross said politely as he walked into his sister's apartment._

"_**Yeah, she's in her room.. RACHEL" **Monica called out her friend's name in a very loud voice._

"_**Jeez, I could've did that!" **Ross commented but before he could say anything else a smile took over his features as Rachel Green walked out of her bedroom._

"_**Hey guys, what's up?" **She asked, her hair was up in a messy bun and she was wearing a plain white t-shirt with jeans. Rachel had natural beauty. She could look amazing in whatever she wore._

"_**Ross here wanted to talk to you."** Monica said, paying more attention to the pasta she was making. She didn't notice the fact that Ross was staring at Rach, practically drooling._

_Ross cleared his throat, trying to control himself. Even after all of these years, Rachel still got to him almost as if he was back in high school.** "Rach," **he moved over so that they were standing a few inches apart. They were in the living room part of the area, close to her bedroom door. **"I was wondering.. um, do you think maybe we could go out to eat sometime? Like just us..?" **he asked in a timid voice as he looked down at her._

_Rachel giggled a bit as she thought it over. **"So this would be a date right?"** It had been a while since her and Ross had gotten back together, she knew that it would happen sooner or later. _

"_**If that's what you want it to be."**_

_She smirked at his comment and put her hands on her hips. **"Then yes. If you give me a few minutes I could go change and we could get some coffee?" **_

_Ross nodded and smiled, **"Sure, that'd be great. I'll be at Chandler and Joey's. Just come get me when you're ready." **_

_Rachel smiled once more and left for her bedroom. She began to go through her closet looking for a cute outfit to wear._

_Ross headed back to see the guys. As soon as he walked into their apartment he let out a big "**YESSSSSSS" **and pumped a fist into the air with triumph. _

_Joey and Chandler turned to look at him, they both understood why he was so happy. **"So when's the big date?"** Joey asked eagerly._

"_**Tonight actually, she's gonna come get me in a few minutes after she changes. I know I said I'd stay to watch the other movie but you both understand right?"**_

"_**Of course! You go have some fun!" **Joey exclaimed as he high fived his friend. Chandler mumbled an 'of course' and sipped his beer. This day was just perfect. _

"_**To be honest I think we should forget the other movie.. watch it tomorrow or something" **Chandler said finally, **"I'm not feeling too hot, I think I might turn in. I'll talk to you both tomorrow.." **He quickly got up off the couch and headed to his room leaving Joey and Ross alone. He left so fast that he didn't give either of them enough time to even speak. Once he entered his bedroom he locked the door behind him and let out a loud sigh. He had to get out of there. He didn't want to see Rachel come through that door and then leave with Ross. If they really did get back together, it'd be hell for him. _


	3. Chapter 3

And now it's time for Chapter 3. I still don't know if anyone likes what I'm writing *hint* review *hint* I just know that I want to keep coming up with stories because it cures my boredom. It's March Break and a lot of my friends went away so I need something to do right?

Chandler tossed and turned in his bed. It had been almost two weeks since Ross and Rachel had went on their date and they were together once again. It was Ross and Rachel, Rachel and Ross, power couple of the group. They were each other's lobsters, it was destiny but every time someone mentioned lobsters it made Chandler want to puke. He couldn't stand the thought of the shell fish anymore.

He let out a tired sigh as he got out of bed. It was half past five, his alarm wouldn't be going off for another hour but he was wide awake. This was day three of no sleep. He hated sleep now, if he did fall into a slumber then he'd end up dreaming about her. Dreaming about what he could never have. She was Rachel, Ross's Rachel. She had always been Ross's Rachel. Chandler had mentally called her that ever since the day they had first met.

In high school Ross had practically worshipped the ground she walked on, Chandler knew this. He knew all of Ross's feelings and thoughts about her. That's what made his own feelings seem so horrible. How could he have fallen in love with his best friend's girlfriend? Wait, this was not love. It couldn't be. Chandler wasn't into the whole love thing. It's not what he did. Commitment was bad. This was just some silly crush. It had been going on for almost a month but it had to pass, it needed to pass.

Maybe he just needed to get a new girlfriend of his own? Someone to take his mind off of Rachel? Yeah, that could work. Chandler thought about the idea while he went through his morning routine: shower, brush teeth, put on some clothes and then go to Monica's for breakfast. He had taken an extra long shower this morning so by the time he was ready to leave his apartment it was more of a decent time.

"**Morning"** Chandler said as he opened the door and walked into her apartment.

Monica must've just woken up. She was wearing her bathrobe and seemed sleepy. **"You're early" **she mumbled as she cracked open a few eggs. This was true, normally Chandler arrived when the food was on the table, not when it was being prepared.

"**Well I can leave and come back when the food's ready, if that's what you'd prefer" **a joking tone was used when the words were said. Monica let out a soft laugh. **"Ha, ha. Very funny, but no. Stay. You know I always enjoy your company.." **her voice lacked the joking tone that his had but this time it seemed more suggestive. Chandler looked over at her, she looked at him. They both knew what she was implying. The night that they had slept together; they had both been drunk, very drunk.

You see, Chandler was trying to get over Kathy. He spent his time in his sweats, sitting in his lazy boy chair. Ross and Joey had been gone leaving him alone with the girls who really had no idea what to do with him. Chandler explained that there were many phases that he had to go through. Sweat pants was phase one. Phase two was something that Joey promised to be back for. Monica had asked what phase two was and found out that it getting drunk and going to a strip club. Now since Joey was gone the girls felt that they needed to get Chandler through the phases and it wasn't just because of the strange odor that was coming from him. They felt bad for their friend. Kathy shouldn't have cheated on him. Chandler didn't deserve that.

Phoebe came up with the idea of taking Chandler out so that they could get stage three over with. Rachel agreed with this idea except both of them were busy with work. Rachel had some new clients to shop for and Phoebe was booked with massage appointments (Rachel and Monica couldn't figure out if she was telling the truth or if she just didn't want to go), that left only Monica left. She was not busy and agreed to help Chandler although she refused to go to a strip club. They were so filthy, it drove Monica crazy. A depressed Chandler and Monica headed to a normal bar, that was there compromise. It had started off as any normal night, they both got a drink but then one drink turned into two, two turned into three and before you knew it shots were thrown into the mix too.

The night ended with them heading back to Chandler's apartment. The whole way back they could barely keep their hands off of each other. One intoxicated kiss had led to many more. The next morning they were both hung over, shocked that they had slept together and Monica was shocked that she had liked it. Chandler on the other hand was shocked that he had actually went through with it. He had, had sex with Monica. How weird was that?

Ever since that night, almost a month ago now, Chandler had been trying to keep his distance from Monica. That was very hard to do since both he and Joey relied on her for food. Mostly he'd just make sure that there was always someone else in the room with them so that she couldn't try anything. He didn't want to talk about that night ever again but unfortunately right now he had a bad feeling that it might come up in conversation.

"**So.." **

The awkwardness in his voice was evident.

"**So..?" **Monica put a plate of eggs and bacon on the table in front of him and then got food for herself. She sat across the table from him.

Chandler looked down at the food and poked at it with his fork. He kept his gaze on the food, not looking up at her as he spoke. **"Uh, how are you?"** That was a good enough statement, a polite question. He wished that Joey was an early riser so that he could come save him.

"**I'm fine I guess but I've missed you." **

Chandler poked at his egg too hard this time causing the yoke to burst. He cleared his throat a little, **"But you saw me yesterday. I was here for supper, remember?" **

"**Of course I remember silly, I-.. I've missed being with you. Just you." ** Oh Monica, she was never one to be subtle. While Chandler processed these thoughts she reached over and touched his hand.

"**Have you missed me?"** she asked with the flirtiest smile she could conjure.

"**Well, ah.. –" **Chandler's brain was not helping him this morning. It was as scrambled as her eggs. Luckily for him the door opened, causing Monica to pull her hand away as Ross entered the room.

"**Good morning. How is everyone?" **

Chandler had never been so happy to see Ross. He was saved. He nodded a greeting and quickly shovelled the eggs and bacon into his mouth .

"**Clearly someone's hungry"** Ross said with a grin as he got some food for himself. Monica smiled but Chandler could tell that she was disappointed that Ross had interrupted them.

"**You betcha" **Chandler finished up the last piece of egg and then stood up. Once Ross had arrived he had ate his food so fast that you'd swear that he hadn't ate in weeks. It was like he had turned into a human vacuum. **"I should really be going" **he slipped his jacket on and was just about to head out the door when he overheard Monica telling Ross that she was going out to lunch with Chandler today.

"**Is this true?" **Ross looked over at Chandler with a suspicious look on his face.

"**Yes!.. **_**apparently**_**" **the 'apparently' came out muttered and was covered up by the Geller's conversation. Chandler sighed as he opened the door and walked out.

"**See you at lunch, hun" **

_Hun.. really?! _Was she not at all worried about Ross finding out? From that little comment she might as well have just told him. Dear God, what had he gotten himself into?


	4. Chapter 4

"**Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you? Smelly cat, smelly cat, it's not your fault"**

Phoebe Buffay's voice could be heard all throughout Central Perk while she sang her famous song. As she finished the crowd began to clap, the happiest person about the performance was Rachel who was sitting on the big orange couch.

"**Pheebs, that was great!" **Rachel exclaimed as her friend took a seat beside her.

"**I know" **she replied with a cheeky grin.

The girls began to talk among themselves. Rachel casually flipped through a magazine while listening to Phoebe tell her about the latest guy she massaged. Gunther brought coffee for them both.

"**So how are things with you and Dino boy?" **Phoebe giggled before taking a sip of her coffee. Gunther stalked off, annoyed at the mention of Ross. He did stay in close enough to eaves drop, he was curious to know how his competition was doing.

Rachel smiled at the thought of Ross, **"Things are good. Really good." **

"**Good? That's all I get?"** It was obvious that Phoebe was looking for some sort of juicy gossip and that made Rachel laugh a little.

"**I said **_**really **_**good didn't I?" **

"**Yeah, yeah." **Phoebe took another sip of her coffee. Her stomach growled, it was getting close to lunch time. She considered asking Gunther to get her a cookie but before she could say the thought out loud Rachel said something that caught her attention.

"**So I don't have any news about me and Ross however I did overhear something this morning. Chandler came over earlier than usual which sucked for me because I could hear him and Mon talking, they woke me up!" **Rachel began, pausing for a few seconds before continuing, **"I couldn't hear the whole conversation but it sounded like Monica said that she missed him or something. Next thing you know Ross shows up and she tells him that she and Chandler are going out for lunch."**

"**That's suspicious" **Phoebe commented and by the sound of her voice it was easy to tell that she was interested.

"**I know right? I wonder if something's going on between them.. like for real." **

Both girls began to think about the idea of Monica being with Chandler. If there was something going on there then Ross would kill Chandler. Definitely. Phoebe couldn't wrap her mind around the thought of it though and she made this fact known.

"**Rach are you sure? I mean it's Chandler. Chandler! For the longest time we all thought he was gay, sometimes I still think he is. That boy is always so dressed up-"**

"**Oh come on Pheebs, we all know that he's not actually gay. Besides, what'd be wrong with liking Chandler? He's funny and cute." **

Funny and cute? Phoebe raised her eyebrow at Rachel's comment. **"Now, now Ms Green. Remember Ross? Your boyfriend? I can picture it now. He hears you say that and next thing you know he's all 'but not as cute as me right?! **_**RIGHT?'"**_

Rachel shook her head and held up her hands in defence. **"I'm with Ross. I was just trying to be nice! That's all" **Chandler stayed on her mind after she spoke. It confused her but for some reason she was intrigued with the idea of Chandler being a boyfriend. That sure would be different.

"**Good. Especially if Mon does like him. Hey! We should investigate this.. did you hear where they were going for lunch?" **

Rachel shook her head, **"Nope, all I know is that she's going to meet him at his office."**

"**That's what I was afraid of, hm, I guess we'll have to go 007 on this one."**

Rachel was even more confused now. She watched as Phoebe stood up and then did the same.

"**What do you mean?"**

"**Simple, we'll go over to Mr. Bing's office and follow them. God, keep up!"**

11:55. Chandler paced back and forth in his office. His eyes kept finding their way back to the clock that hung on his wall. Monica would be there to pick him up any minute. He didn't know if he was ready for this. Okay so he knew that he wasn't. Having a time machine right now would be wonderful, that way he could go back and not sleep with Monica. If that happened then nothing would be different. He'd be fine.

"_**Bing, there's someone here to see you." **_

Chandler's receptionist nearly gave him a heart attack. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself before speaking. **"Okay, send her in."**

An overly happy Monica walked into the room. **"Hey! Are you ready to go eat?"**

"**As ready as I'll ever be" **With that said Chandler walked towards the door. Monica grabbed a hold of his hand and led him out.

Within minutes they were walking down the street. They had decided to go out for Subs. Monica continued to hold his hand while they walked which made him feel even more nervous. He silently prayed that no one they knew would see them. Little did he know that Rachel and Phoebe were on their mission.

"**The trick is too stay far enough away to make sure they don't notice. You don't want to be too obvious." **Phoebe said as she glanced over the newspaper she was holding. They both had newspapers. It was their cover. From the way Phoebe spoke it almost made Rachel think that her friend had done this before. She seemed knowlegdible on the subject.

Chandler and Monica walked inside the Subway and ordered. Chandler debated on whether or not he should pay. If he paid for hers then it would definitely seem like a date but then if he didn't pay that could seem rude. His thoughts didn't seem to matter because Monica insisted that she should pay and he allowed her to do so considering he had learned from Joey to never turn down a free meal.

The meal was tasty and to Chandler's surprise the conversation wasn't that bad either. He even got a few laughs out of it. He glanced down at his watch, **"Oh man, I need to get back to work. Sorry to eat and run" **Monica stood up and nodded, **"That's fine. We should do this again?" **Without even thinking Chandler nodded. The idea wasn't that bad. Perhaps he had gotten himself worried about nothing. As long as she didn't get to 'date' crazy then this could be fun. He already knew that she was good in bed. She could work as the distraction he needed well as long as no one, no one meaning Ross, found out about it.

During the lunch Phoebe and Rachel sat at the table nearest to the door. They kept their newspapers held high. It was the only thing they had closest to a disguise and they didn't want to blow their cover. Phoebe spent most of the time trying to control her giggles. Rachel had been right, there was something going on between them they picked up on that information while eaves dropping. Rachel spent most of the time not showing any expressions. Probably because she didn't know how she felt about it. Phoebe found the idea hilarious. Rachel didn't see the humour in it. She was still wondering what was wrong with seeing Chandler in that way. He was cute, adorable really and he was funny. You couldn't deny that could you?

"**I guess I'll see you tonight then.." **Chandler flashed a smile as he began to make his way to the door but before he could open it Monica put her hand on his shoulder, used it to turn him around and was just about to kiss him when Rachel interrupted it.

"**Hey you guys! We didn't see you there, leaving? Aww, too bad. Have fun at work Chandler. Monica, why don't you stay? You can walk home with us." ** All of the words came out before she could even think about what she was saying. It was a rambled mess. _'Why did I just do that?!' _ Rachel couldn't answer the thought. She just had the biggest urge to stop them from kissing. Phoebe gave her a look, she was also confused and evidently annoyed. Phoebe must've wanted to see where the goodbye was going.

"**Uh, goodbye ladies." **

Confusion had taken over everyone. Chandler left and Monica looked at Rachel, she wasn't happy either. Rachel sighed, she wanted to slap herself in the face. What was going on? The walk back to the apartment felt like the longest walk she had ever experienced.

_And there's chapter 4, hope people like it! PS, a special thanks to __BundyShoes__ for_ _leaving the first review, not gonna lie, it sorta made my day xD_


	5. Chapter 5

Chandler sat on the floor of his apartment. In the last half hour he and Joey had used all of the pillows they could find to make a fort for Ben. Ben was only little, barely crawling around but the guys liked to think that when he'd get older they'd be able to tell him about this moment and he'd be thankful for it. Chandler wasn't the best with kids. They made him nervous, like most things did. If they started to cry he had no idea what to do. Ross had allowed Chandler to hold Ben back when he was still in the hospital. That had been the first and last time that Chandler held Ben in that stage of his young life. Carol had told Chandler that he needed to hold him more like he was holding a baby and not a football. After that Chandler declared that he would not hold or look after Ben until he was able to crawl and do his own thing, like now for example.

Carol. Oh how he missed her. Okay not really, he found her to be boring at times but a certain thought had occurred to him. If Carol hadn't became a lesbian and stayed married to Ross then there would be no Ross's Rachel. The only thing between them would be the creepy crush he had on her in high school. They wouldn't have gotten the chance to date. That would've been great seeing as if that was the case then he wouldn't be breaking some unwritten code by asking her out.

"**Chandler?" **Monica's walked through the door causing his thoughts to be pushed away. They had been secretly hanging out more all week. He wasn't sure if you'd call it dating or not. There was no sex but a bit of flirting and a couple kisses here and there. There was a weird look on her face. She was eyeing up the pillows on the floor surrounding them. **"Is that a baby cage?"**

"**What? Noo. It's a fort!" **Chandler retorted quickly, **"Yeah.. a FORT!" **Joey repeated while playing with a tiny toy dinosaur.

"**Then why is there a bottle attached to the wall?" **She was pointing at the milk bottle that was duct taped to the wall the pillows surrounded. **"You realize that Ben is a baby.. not a hamster"**

"**We know that, we're not dumb" **While Joey spoke Chandler ripped the bottle off of the wall. He dropped it on the floor and looked back at Monica, **"Nothing was ever proven!" **

Monica laughed, moments like these made her wonder what her brother was thinking when he left his son with these two. They had lost poor Ben once, now they used a baby cage? The guys left alone with Ben was.. interesting to say the least.

"**So what's up?" **Chandler questioned finally, smiling a bit as he spoke.

"**Oh nothing really, I was just wondering if you could come over to my apartment for a few minutes.. the tv isn't working." **She gave him a suggestive look and he immediately stood up. **"Yeah sure, that's no problem.. although.. uh Joe? Do you think you can look after Ben for a few minutes, alone?" **

Chandler and Monica both looked at Joey who was situated on the floor playing with the toy dinosaur and now Hugsy too. He seemed more amused by the toys than Ben was. **"Mhmm. Sure. Whatever."** Monica wasn't convinced, neither was Chandler. They always knew that Joey was just a big kid at heart. His attention was being taken up by all of this playing. He barely noticed when Monica picked up Ben and walked out of the room with Chandler.

Once they were safely in Monica and Rachel's apartment Chandler began to talk, **"So should I go start working on your tv?" **With each word he got closer to her. If she hadn't been holding Ben he would've pulled her in for a passionate kiss but unfortunately he couldn't right now. He'd have to tone down, make it more of a G rating kiss. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. **"You do good work" **she said between two more kisses.

Monica regretted taking Ben with her. He would've been fine with Joey, for a few minutes anyway. They were in the middle of another kiss when Rachel walked through the front door. **"Don't you think that's slightly inappropriate? You two are going to scar that baby." **Rachel tried her best to pull off a joking tone, with anyone else it might've been easy except right now she felt different. A twinge of jealousy erupted inside of her. It was a foreign feeling, one she did not enjoy. Rachel could care less about the fact that two people were kissing while one of them was holding a baby, the thing that made her mad was the fact that they looked like they could be a family.

"**Rach.. y-you're probably right. I'll take Ben back over to my place. By now Joey must be spazzing over the fact that he lost him." **Chandler, acting as though he was Mr. Mom, took Ben from Monica as if he were pro. He then quickly left the room.

After Chandler's departure Monica ran her fingers through her hair, she sighed happily while thinking about him. **"You really need to work on your timing Rach," ** she said, giggling and walked over to the sink. She began to scrub away at some dirty dishes, **"I know what you're thinking, me and Chandler? There's no way.. well you're wrong because it's true! This is the second time that you've caught us. So in a way it might be the first since the last time, remember at the Subway? Yeah you didn't technically catch us there.. it was more of an interruption." **

Rachel didn't know what to say. She was fighting down different urges. She was fighting down the urge to vomit, the urge to slap Monica in the face and the urge to run off crying. This was crazy. She had a boyfriend who loved her, she loved him too. Didn't she? Love seemed like a mystery to her now. Men seemed to cause too many problems in her life. Maybe she should just leave and join the convent, become a nun.

Her friend seemed so excited about the fact that she had this.. secret boyfriend.. Rach knew that she needed to say something. Anything. **"That's good Mon.. I'm happy for you" **Not exactly what she wanted to say but it was what she needed to say.

"**Thanks! But please, don't tell anyone else. Especially Ross, he **_**cannot **_**find out about this."**

"**Okay sure, I promise. Don't worry about it."** With that said Rachel turned around and went for the door.

"**Where are you going? You just got here?" **Rachel didn't know where she was going to go. **"I just remembered.. I forgot something at work, I need to go pick it up. Just some paper work. I'll be back in time for supper." **She lied smoothly this time before closing the door behind her. Now that the door was keeping her safe from Monica she leaned against it for a minute, trying to grab her bearings. She walked out of the apartment building once again, sighing as she did so. This was not going to be easy.

_And thanks to my boredom another chapter has been made. I hope it's okay (:_


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel sat in her bed, she was reading over paper work she had brought home from work. Her attention wasn't truly on it. Her mind was being taken over by thoughts of Chandler, _Chandler! _She still couldn't understand it. Ever since she and Phoebe discussed the idea of Chandler being more than just a friend she found herself wanting to test the idea out. She wanted to be with him. But it was wrong. He was Ross's best friend not to mention her best friend now had some sort of fling going on with him. Rachel preferred to think of it as a fling because the thought of them full on dating was too much. Rachel had known Chandler since the 80s. Ross had brought him home during Thanksgiving. They met once again when Rachel and Monica visited Ross in college. Rachel was more partial to that meeting because they had shared their first kiss there. Of course it wasn't all that romantic, she had been drunk and didn't remember it that well due to passing out afterward.

Lately she had been wishing that she could go back in time to relive that moment. However there was another moment she would be eager to revisit. Back before getting married to Barry Rachel had gone to a bar with a few of her friends. That bar happened to be where Chandler and the rest of the gang hung out. Rachel explained to her friends that she wished she could have a last fling just to get it out of her system. She wanted to have meaningless sex with the next man she saw. That man happened to be Chandler. They never did hook up, but Rachel did fantasize over him. She regretted not leaving with him that night but by the time that it was too late. She had left him alone while she went back to Barry.

No one knew about that night. She doubted that Chandler even remembered. Many years have passed by since then. Plus if he did remember he might not have even made the connection because at that point in time they were more like strangers than anything else.

"**Hey Rach" **

Rachel gasped at the sound of the voice. It crashed through the silence causing her to jump. She looked up to see Ross standing beside her bed. His smile disappeared when he realized that he had scared her. **"Oh my god, Ross, you can't just sneak up on someone!" **Rachel mentally cursed herself. She had been so hooked on the thoughts of Chandler that she hadn't even noticed her actual boyfriend enter the room.

"**Honey I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" **

"**You didn't scare me" **Rachel said stubbornly, even if he did scare her she had no intention in openly admitting it.

Ross pushed away some of her papers that were scattered on the bed. He sat down on the empty space close to her. **"Sure, whatever you say." **He leaned in to kiss her lips and then gently made his way from her lips to her neck. He then followed the trail of kisses back to her lips.

Rachel loved to kiss Ross. He was a good kisser, sure sometimes he had his geeky moments but when he wanted to he could take charge. When they first started to date Rachel couldn't help but to laugh at the fact that she was kissing Ross. Once that stage was over things got better. His kisses made her get weak in the knees, she felt like she could fly when she was with him, he was her own personal high.

Right now, she wasn't feeling any of those things. **"Ross," **she struggled to pull away from his kiss, **"Stop." **Ross had made his way to being on top of her but when she asked to stop he followed the order. **"Why?" **Confusing and disappointment was clearly visible in not only his tone but his eyes too.

Why. Why did she want him to stop? The real reason wouldn't satisfy him so she quickly tried to make up a reason. **"Because I think we should talk. We never just talk anymore." **

"**What do you mean we never just talk anymore? All we ever do is talk. Talk, talk, talk." **

Rachel was surprised at the annoyance in his tone. Was he seriously getting mad at her right now?

"**And what's wrong with talking? Not everything about a relationship has to be physical." **

Ross got off of her, off the bed and was now standing. Another fight, this happened on a regular basis with Rachel. Ross had noticed that they'd get together, have a honeymoon period and then next thing you know there'd be some sort of conflict between them. It was hard to put up with but he loved her so he did. He knew that if they broke up they'd just end up back together again. That's how it always was.

"_**Not everything about a relationship has to be physical**_**" **He repeated, using a higher pitched voice to mock Rachel's, **"Really? Are you actually going to tell me that crap? Seriously? What about Paolo? Tell me, how much talking did you do with him?" **

Rachel's jaw dropped slightly, **"Don't bring him into this. That was years ago Ross! God, besides we tried to talk. That's more than what you're doing." **

With each word Ross felt himself get madder. He shook his head, **"So everything is my fault is it? You know, you're being a total hypocrite. I remember what you were like in high school. Everyone knows that you were and still are a slut." **As soon as the words came out he knew he had went too far. He didn't mean them. He was just so angry. He wasn't using his head, this right here was a prime example on why you need to think about what you say before you say it. Ross needed to do that next time. For now it was time for damage control.

"_Slut." _Rachel had been called that many times, she had heard rumours about herself back in high school. She knew what her classmates used to think of her. Maybe she was a bit too 'friendly' but to hear these words coming from Ross. It was too much. **"You think I'm a slut? Everyone does? Is that the only reason you keep me around.. Because you know I'll give it up? Because you think I'm easy?" **She tried her hardest but tears were breaking free. Ross saw this and tried to wipe them away but she immediately swatted his hand away. **"Don't touch me." **

"**Rach, I, I didn't.. I'm sor-" **Rachel cut him off. She didn't want to hear an apology from him. **"Get out." **

"**Rachel.."**

She pointed to the door, tears streaming down her cheeks as she did so. **"You asshole, listen to me for a change. I said, Get Out! NOW." **Her vicious tone got the message through loud and clear. He left without saying anything else. An emotional Rachel stood silently crying. She couldn't believe him. What right did he have to say all of those mean things to her? This had to be one of their stupidest fights ever. Why was he so upset about them not having sex? It had only been a couple weeks. He's went longer before. She was so pissed off at him, she didn't even care anymore. If sex was what he wanted then he'd have to go somewhere else. If he tried crawling back to her then that might be the last thing he ever tried to do.

_So this chapter is very centered on Ross&Rachel. Fights always seem to occur for them and before anyone freaks out I do happen to love Ross. I just felt that he needed to be an ass in this fight._


	7. Chapter 7

This break up was different for Rachel. It wasn't like the rest of the ones she had experienced throughout her on again off again relationship with Ross. It hurt a lot more than the others had. Their fight replayed constantly in her head. Her bed was surrounded by a million tissues and empty tissue boxes. The gang knew that she and Ross had broken up but they didn't hear the news from her, they had to hear it from Ross because Rachel refused to leave her room. She spent her days lying in bed with the door locked. If she wanted food she'd wait until people left or until late at night. Sometimes Monica set plates of food outside her bedroom door which was a sweet gesture but Rachel noticed that it didn't always work because Joey had no shame in stealing it.

It had been four days, almost five days considering what time it was. It was almost 3:30am. The apartment was dead silent. Rachel stared at her ceiling, she wanted food but her body didn't want to move. It was tired, she was tired. She hadn't slept good since the break up. Everything was so messed up. Her hunger overpowered the tiredness of her body and she slowly crept out of her bedroom.

Rachel went straight to the freezer, it was time for more ice cream. After grabbing the ice cream and a big spoon she started to head back to her room but was startled to see a sleeping Chandler waking up on the couch.

Chandler blinked a few times, as his eyes adjusted to the dark light he came to see that Rachel was the reason he woke up. **"Rachel..?" **He called out quietly trying to make sense of it all. Was this really happening or was he just dreaming? Rachel hadn't left her room in what felt like ages. Chandler knew that she'd have to come out eventually but he didn't expect that he'd be the first person to find her.

Clutching the ice cream container she looked at Chandler, she was suddenly scared. Suddenly she felt like crying again. Seeing him made her remember Ross, made her remember the fight. Even though Chandler didn't know it he was part of the reason they had, had that fight in the first place. Her head started to shake and she began to breathe heavier. It was evident that she was going to start crying again. She needed to get back into her room. She was safe there.

A sleepy Chandler attempted to stand up. He nearly fell over the coffee table as he walked towards her. Just as she was about to go back inside her room he grabbed her by the arm. **"Come on Rach, don't go back in there.." **he spoke in an almost whisper, she shook her head, tears poured down her cheeks. **"C-chandler, let go." **She choked out while trying to pull away from him. She didn't want him to see her like this.

"**No." **His voice was surprisingly stern. He wasn't going to let go. He refused to. She needed to talk to someone, anyone even if it was going to be him.

Rachel looked down at her arm he was holding onto and then up at him. He met her gaze, it saddened him to see her hurt like this. Tears continued to fall, they barely masked the bags under her eyes. It was obvious that she hadn't been sleeping lately. Rachel looked away once more but then suddenly dropped the ice cream and spoon. She rushed into his arms, holding him close as she began to sob into his sweater.

Chandler was shocked at her actions but he did the only thing he could; he hugged her. He stood there silently with his arms wrapped around her small body. He held her close and began to gently rub her back. **"It's gonna be okay.." **

Rachel looked up at him, **"How do you know?" **she tried to steady her breathing but it was a failed attempt. He continued to rub her back as he answered the question, **"I just know. You'll be fine. Everything will be fine, trust me." **He gave her a reassuring smile but she didn't seem convinced, **"Okay listen to me, you helped me when I went through that mess with Kathy, it's my turn to help you. I'll do whatever you want me to, we'll get you through the phases even if I have to take you to a male strip club." **

At the thought of Chandler going to a male strip club with her she began to laugh through the tears. It was weak but still, it was a laugh. **"That wouldn't help you're 'I'm not gay' image"** she pointed out, still showing a small smile. **"Yeah.. but I'd go through with it for you. Just thinking about it makes you show of that pretty little smile of yours. I mean look at that thing, I'm surprised that your face remembers how to move that way. You need to smile more often, no more frowning! I only want to see your cute smile" **He jokingly pinched her cheeks when he said cute as if he was pinching a little kids cheek. **"See? So cutee" **He added because she started to grin again when he pinched her cheeks.

Rachel pulled away from him so that the pinching would stop. She couldn't believe how amazing he was acting right now. **"Chandler, you're too sweet. Really, you don't have to go this." **

"**But I want to." **He gave her a gentle push towards the couch, implying that she needed to sit there. While she took a seat he picked the ice cream container off the floor. Luckily for them the container still had its lid on. If ice cream would've got on the floor guaranteed Monica would freaked out in the morning. He stared at the label on the container and then looked at her. **"You're not eating this" **

"**And why not?" **She questioned as he went back to the freezer to switch the ice cream for another kind. **"Simple" **he began, **"This is that crappy low fat stuff." **She cut him off, **"So? It's what you eat when you get screwed over all the time." "You aren't going to get screwed over anymore. Put that thought out of your mind. You need the good ice cream, the stuff saved for terminal cases." **He walked back over to her and handed her a new spoon and the good ice cream. Once she took it he sat down beside her. **"Now eat." **She followed his command. He watched her eat a few spoonfuls of the frozen treat. **"Okay now share!" **she giggled softly as she fed him a spoonful. **"Is it good?" **she asked, **"So good. More please." **She fed him some more and then raised her eyebrow, **"Wait a minute, this ice cream is strictly saved for break ups. You shouldn't be allowed to eat it." **Chandler took the spoon out of her hands and ate some more, **"I'm allowed to eat it, I'm going through this break up with you remember? I don't cry often so I make up in that area with eating more ice cream" **He declared with a cheeky grin while feeding her a spoonful of the delicious ice cream. **"You're always bending the rules aren't you?" **She commented between mouthfuls of ice cream. Chandler shrugged, **"I don't see you complaining." **She nodded, **"Good point."**

Chandler and Rachel continued to share the ice cream until the container was practically empty. While eating the ice cream Rachel came out with more information on the break up. When Ross told the group he failed to mention the harsh things that he had said. It made Chandler angry, he was going to go have a talk with that guy soon. The talking continued for almost an hour but then Chandler accidentally fell asleep. Surprisingly, so did Rachel. It was the first time in a while. She felt comfortable being with him. She felt safe. That morning Monica woke up to find Chandler still sleeping on the couch with Rachel snuggling into him. She was jealous at the sight but didn't dare wake them. She spotted the good ice cream so she assumed that Chandler had just been trying to help Rachel. That was good. Monica missed her best friend. She wanted her to feel better again.


End file.
